Hill Climbers

Standing at the bottom of a hill you can’t help but to look up. If you are lucky or unfortunate enough to have a personality such as mine, you look at the hill with a sense of dread. In your mind and heart you know that the hill can not or will not be conquered. You are defeated before you ever start.

That is good! Who wants to climb the stupid hill anyway?

Of course, while you're saying, thinking and believing that the hill, mountain, mini Everest, can not be conquered, somebody has the audacity to run right past you and head up that hill. They act as if the hill did not even exist. As you look up it obviously does exist.

What is their problem?

The nerve, the audacity, how dare that person prove that the hill can be conquered! Especially, considering you were so sure it couldn’t be done. As you stand there watching the backside of that person grow smaller and smaller you can’t help but feel inferior, as if somewhere along the line you were not dealt your fare share of talents.

I’ve struggle most of my life watching people conquer what I couldn’t. However, I have recently discovered that there was only one reason that I could not conquer what others have.

There is only one reason that a flat road suddenly becomes Mt. Everest. Why the possible becomes impossible.

The reason!

I do not have enough faith. Faith in myself, faith in my abilities, and faith in my potential.

Over the past few years I have been fortunate to become friends with several hill climbers. Each of them have their own strengths and unwavering belief in their abilities. This has helped me figure out the following: no matter what your weakness is it is someone's strength. They are so strong that they can help push, pull, shove and drag you up the hill.

Of course, that means you have the responsibility to use your strengths to pull, push, shove and drag someone else up the hill. However, the more strength and hill climbers you surround yourself with the stronger you will become. The more you live life and pursue your goals, the more your faith, abilities and potential will grow.

There is another side to this coin that you have failed to notice. As we watched those hill climbers head up the hill, as we watched them become smaller and smaller, as we languished in self pitty, we failed to notice the company we were keeping. Behind us stood the masses. The masses who believed the hill could not be conquered. They were all to anxious to join you in your self doubt. To promote your self doubt and encourage your failure.

As women we have to be careful about the company we keep. We have to be careful of those outside voices we let in. Are we letting the hill climbers in or are we quick to let those who fill us with self doubt in? Those negative voices come in all shapes and forms and we have to be alert. Questioning, watching, listening and most importantly asking, "Will this help me climb the hill today?"

If the answer is no I think you know what you have to do. Here is my challenge for the week. Be a hill climber, don't doubt yourself, don't question your ability, don't listen to anyone or anything that tells you you can't. If you start hearing those voices, shut it down, walk away, go look for a hill to climb and get to climbing. Remember the best views are from the top.